The sky was still very dark when Clemens stirred from his sleep, the time reading 06:03 when he turned his head to look. Very early in the Morning, and still giving him about an hour and a half before he needed to leave their apartment to get to work on time. He could sleep for another hour or so, but that might result in him having to rush things, and besides, he wasn’t feeling all that tired anyway, having gone to bed with Jenny early.
As carefully as he could he began to slide out from under the covers, trying not to wake the still-slumbering Jenny.
“Hmm?” He failed. Jenny stirred slightly when her arm slipped, her eyes opening.
“Ssssorry.” Clemens whispered an apology.
“That’s okay.” Jenny murmured sleepily. “Just be sure to get the coffee ready, since you were up first and all.”
“I will.” He promised as he slowly got out and stretched himself.
Given how early in the morning it was, he did need to slip on his dressing gown to help keep himself warm enough to function. A small downside to his being a snake now was that he needed the surrounding environment more than humans to help regulate his body temperature, even if his size appeared to aid him in that regard.
With the kettle on and the cups prepared, Clemens took the moment to think about the recent news segments concerning the children of those who had taken the Animatrix Serum, whether by choice or otherwise. Clearly the last segment - that had dealt with the Viper couple - was the most relevant to Jenny and himself, given his own being an African Rock Python and Jenny’s thoughts about being one, or at least a genetically compatible species.
But that was still a decision that she had yet to make up her mind on, but whatever choice she made, she could count on his being there for her. Plus he had made the decision to stockpile some of his sperm prior to taking the Serum himself so even if she chose to remain human, they could still have children to call their own.
One thing that had caught their attention though, was the Johanson’s decision to remove the Venom Glands from their children when they’d been born. Clemens knew that that would have been an invasive surgical operation, and was severely frowned upon when used on mundane snakes, but he suspected that the concerns they had with regards to instinct was their deciding factor, and was at least reasonably sure that it would have been conducted by a trained veterinary doctor. One thing he also knew was that the Venom Glands could re-grow in time but they likely knew this fact as well, and the time needed might be long enough that they could be taught to not use their fangs by that time, or perhaps the operation could be done again.
All in all, it had been a very informative broadcast for him and Jenny who he heard starting to slip out of bed herself. As her coffee was poured and stirred, she came into the kitchen, dressed in the same dressing gown and nothing else as Clemens.
“Morning.” Clemens greeted as he handed her cup to her.
“Morning.” She replied, still a little sleepy as she gratefully accepted the cup, the hot liquid helping her to become more alert. “So? Anything planned?”
“Well there’sss ssstill quite a bit of time before either of usss need to leave, ssso I was thinking of looking into a few thingsss while we can.”
“Like that Church of Lord Jesus?” Jenny queried with a slight concern.
“No, I think it may be bessst if we get some more information on them firssst. Try and work out what they want with me.” Clemens reassured her. “Besssidesss, they don’t ssseem to be particularly nasssty, at leassst they didn’t appear that way when they called.”
“I suppose so.” Jenny replied. “So what do you plan on looking at?”
“Well the Zoo doesss e-mail me if sssomething comesss up, ssso it makesss sssenssse to sssee if that’sss the cassse. Then there’sss ssseeing if there’sss any updatesss on the Animatrixxx Resssearch.”
“I wonder if they’ve worked out how to keep it to just the user?” Jenny mused.
“Perhapsss.” Clemens answered. “But the thing about medical resssearch, it can take yearsss for progressss to be made.”
“I see.”
“Hey, there’sss no need to be down. Like I sssaid before, whatever choiccce you make, I will be there for you.” Clemens held her in a tight loving embrace.
“I know you will.” Jenny returned the hug. “But it has been a while already.”
“Sssinccce they firssst leaned about the Ssserum being contagiousss?” Clemens asked to which Jenny nodded. “Well that wasss firssst realisssed at the end of 2011, ssso it’sss not unreasssonable to think that resssearch into halting that assspect of it would have ssstarted sssoon after. Ssso let’sss sssay 18 monthsss sssinccce they ssstarted. That isss a long time, but it can take at leassst twiccce that to make meaningful progresss. And then there’sss the tesssting they need to do before it can be cleared for ussse.”
“So two years is the minimum time then?”
“That would be the jissst of it.” Clemens slowly peeled away from her. “I’ll be getting a sshhower now, then I’ll see what I can find.”
[+]
Showered and dried off, Clemens was sitting by the computer now. Being a laptop, they could keep it either in their bedroom or use the dining table for it, whatever was best suited to their needs. Right now, it sat on their bedroom where he had been looking into any progress that had been made with regards to the Animatrix Serum, in particular its infectious issues. So far though, there had been no real information beyond what he’d already told Jenny, and was ready to put an end to the search for the time being when a small piece on information caught his eye. It was a small segment stating that later that day there would be an update on the progress made so far, the time stated was for the lunchtime news. That could be something, he thought, whether it was to announce that they’d made progress or not, it might also answer some questions that Jenny had, and almost certainly many others.
Now it was time to check his e-mails, and see I there was anything of notice. Nothing from the Zoo, and nothing else of interest, yet. Closing down the computer for now, he turned to see Jenny leaving their bathroom.
“Anything interesting?” She asked as she slowly seated herself on his lap, her naked flesh pleasantly warm on his bare scales.
“One pieccce of information that may be of help. There’sss going to be an announcccement about the Serum at about lunchtime.”
“They’ve made a development already?”
“Perhapsss, but more likely it will jussst be an update on what they have ssso far, with maybe an essstimate of the time needed to complete it.” Clemens held her tight. “But whatever it isss, there’sss a chance they might go into more detail in the evening newsss, once they’ve had a chanccce to properly look into it.”
“That would make sense.” Jenny agreed. “After all, with the last four days being about the new children the world’s seeing, it would make for an appropriate way to close that part.”
“It would ssseem that way.” Clemens concurred. “And whatever they sssay may be of help.”
“I know that. Still, I wonder what they have to say about it.”
“Who?”
“George and Molly.”
“Ah.” Clemens worked out what she meant. “Well they’re in Montana, about five hoursss behind usss on the clock so for them, they’ll be sleeping about now.” Clemens looked at the clock. “Ssso it’ll be about a quarter to two for them now.”
“I see, so if they do call?”
“Mossst likely, they’ll e-mail usss, ssseeing asss they already have our addressss. And if they do, I’ll make sssure you sssee it asss well.” He promised Jenny.
“Thanks.” Jenny answered as they held each other together for a few minutes before needing to break it. “And I think we’d best get some breakfast and get some clothes on now, don’t you think?”
“The breakfassst firsst.” Clemens chuckled as they slowly got up to properly begin their day.